Council object to wind farm

Wind turbines

COUNCILLORS have registered their objections to a 24-turbine wind farm close to Lauder Common, which the Scottish Government will decide will be built or not.

The detrimental impact of the development on the landscape character and on visual amenity will communicated to the Government in an objection from the council.

At a planning committee meeting on Monday, Ian Aikman, major development manager, said the wind farm would have a “dramatic and harmful impact”.

His views were echoed by Councillor Stuart Bell, who added that the impact would be “astonishing” from certain viewpoints and that he was concerned that this area of the Borders would become a “wind farm landscape” if this development goes ahead.

Councillor Bill White said: “The impact of this would be very significant, both on the villages of Stow and Lauder and on the Common as well.

“The Common is one of the few places where you can get a feeling of the solitude of the Borders.”

Committee chairman Ron Smith said that representations from several statutory consultees also indicated various issues with a number of the turbines, which they have suggested should be moved or deleted from the scheme, indicating its unsuitability.